Saturday’s Republican Party state assembly in Boulder promises to be a fascinating one. Seven Republicans are running for governor and a chance to unseat Democrat John Hickenlooper. Two candidates submitted signatures and five are going through the assembly process. Candidates need 30 percent to get on the ballot so do the math.

“What’s your prediction for governor?” delegates asked each other over and over again Friday, when congressional and legislative districts met to nominate candidates.

Wadhams recalled the 1996 GOP assembly when there was an open seat for the U.S. Senate. Congressman Wayne Allard and Attorney General Gale Norton were considered the top candidates, but there was plenty of speculation that Norton would keep Allard off the ballot.

Wadhams, Allard’s campaign manager, was almost giddy as he recalled that day.

Allard took 41 percent of the delegate vote and almost kept Norton off. She got 31.1 percent. Dividing the rest of the vote, but not making the ballot, were state Sen. Charles Duke, R-Monument, with 18 percent, and Denver lawyer Bill Eggert, a last-minute entrant at the assembly, with 10 percent.

“Wayne has been underestimated his entire political career,” Wadhams said, at the time.

Allard went on to beat Norton in the primary, and Democrat Tom Strickland that November. Allard again defeated Strickland in 2002.

Other notable GOP assemblies:

2010: Political neophtye Dan Maes narrowly edged former Congressman Scott McInnis at the assembly, 49.35 percent to 48.89 percent. Maes went on to win the primary, but got only 11 percent of the vote in the general election when deeper scrutiny of his background turned up big problems. Hickenlooper was elected governor. Wadhams was state party chairman at the time.

1980: The GOP thought it had a chance of unseating Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Hart and what ensued was an assembly battle that folks still talk about. The Spot wrote about it recently because of the death of Bo Callaway. Wadhams was Callaway’s campaign driver.

DickWAD-hams is our local Karl Rove. As far as being a pundit you’ll have more success just throwing darts at a dart board. It will be a treasure trove of laughs regardless of who they nominate – I’m hoping Don Maes comes back for round two.

http://www.BarnesFamily.com/ davebarnes

I loved Dan Maes. Crazy and broke. The best GOP candidate ever.

Explorer08

Dick Wadhams is the single biggest reason the Republicans have done so poorly in Colorado. The guy couldn’t pick a good candidate if one dropped in his lap. He seems to enjoy failure.

GenePH

But all have one prediction in common – Anybody but Hickenlooper and Udall and Obama and ObamaCare! . . . Yes, they all are on the ballot.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.